Zotarolimus with Special drug delivery system

As my last post on the Drug eluting stent (DES) system, I have found one more innovative use of the stent system, which provides continues immunosuppresssant effect.

With the approval date of Feb 1, 2008 from US-FDA Endeavorâ Zotarolimus Eluting Coronary stent is introduced in the market. A novel idea is used to provide effect of an Immunosuppressant drug through the coronary stent system.

The Endeavorâ Zotarolimus Eluting Coronary stent is a tiny, expandable, mesh like tube made with cobalt-based metal with a drug contained within a thin polymer coating on its surface. The stent is mounted over a deflated balloon attached to the end of a long thin flexible tube called a stent drug delivery catheter.

The drug it self is semi-synthetic analogue of rapamycin. This system comes in following mg doses: 84, 90, 120, 144, 150, 180, 240 and 300.

But the drug is contraindicated inn patients hypertensive to this drug, to cobalt-based alloys or to phosphoryl choline polymers. Also those patients who cant receive anti-platelet or anticoagulation therapy.

Drug drug interactions are found with the Ketoconazole which may increase the Zotarolimus levels. With also Sirolimus and systemic immunosuppressive therapy it may affect the Zotarolimus levels.